ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · ground · bear · cell · toast · degree

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cell — in biology
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — a position
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. toast — bread
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cell — in a prison

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com